


Parking

by alexandriakeating



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Foul Language, M/M, Non-Binary Hange Zoë, Slow Romance, warning: Eren's father is abusive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 17:52:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2477114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandriakeating/pseuds/alexandriakeating
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fucking asshole had swerved his huge-fucking-ass truck into the parking place apparently without a spare thought as to how he was supposed to get into his car and leave. This asshole had superseded just a keying. Maybe it was his asinine day at work that was talking, but this fucker was going to get what was coming.</p><p>Levi was not expecting to become friends with or open up to or even fall in love with the little shit who could not park correctly to save his life.</p><p>NOW INCLUDING: A follow up one shot</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, so nervous. You'd think I'd be used to posting my fanfiction by now. But, when you write something out of your typical niche, it can be a bit nerve wracking. That being said, this is my first Attack on Titan fic, and I hope I did every one justice. Fingers crossed!
> 
> Well, there's nothing else left to say, but, "I hope you enjoy it!" This has been my pet project for a while, so I have mixed feelings about letting it go. Treat it well, please!
> 
> EDIT: OH MY GOSH! Thank ya'll so much for the love this fic has received. It's phenomenal. I certainly didn't expect this many kudos and bookmarks. I have skimmed through this again recently and made a few grammatical corrections and fixed a few odd phrases. I'm thinking of doing another chapter; it'll probably be only a couple thousand words, nothing much. I don't have any plans for it as of now (like should I do the story from Eren's perspective or move forward with the story??), but it's on my list of things I'd like to do. Fingers crossed!

The asshole.

The fucking asshole had swerved his huge-fucking-ass truck into the parking place apparently without a spare thought as to how he was supposed to get into his car and leave.

Speaking of which, how the hell was he supposed to get in?

For a brief moment the thought of crawling through the passenger’s side flitted through his mind, but he refused to entertain it. He wasn’t going to say such a thing was beneath him, but it was.

Opening the trunk of his car, he tossed in his bag and slammed it shut. The sharp thud echoed off the concrete walls of the parking garage and hammered the base of his skull. Clutching the keys of his car, he walked around to the driver’s side of the truck. He peered in.

It was a mess. Fast food wrappers, crumbled paper and empty cans littered the dingy brown carpeted floor and gray dash. Stains of various shape, size and color formed a patchwork quilt across the seats.

"Tch," he clicked his tongue in disgust. "Filthy."

He spun his key ring around his left index finger, sending the pieces of metal into a rage of jingling and jangling.

_Krrsh. Cli-cli-click._

_Krrsh. Cli-cli-click._

He stopped and pinched one key in particular: the smallest key, perfect for detail work. This key used to be the symbol of all he owned, and now it was going to help him with a little revenge.

No. This asshole had superseded just a keying. Maybe it was his asinine day at work that was talking, but this fucker was going to get what was coming.

The man walked around to the front of the car and stared at the hood of the truck. His lips curled into a sneer.

“Tch.”

Shoving his keys into his pocket, he pulled off his jack. Sacrificing it with a prayer to whatever god was in charge of sanitation, he laid it on the grimy hood and sat on it. He propped his feet up on the hood of his car.

With a sigh, he pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen. He flicks his finger across the screen, scrolling back and forth between the two pages of apps he had. His eyes narrowed at an unfamiliar icon.

“Candy Crush,” he murmured to himself.

It had to be some shit Hanji had put on here thinking…well, whatever the hell they had running through their mind.

He held a finger down over the app until the screen vibrated and displayed the delete icon. The man dragged the icon over and smiled as it popped from existence. His phone buzzed. A text from Hanji.

“Speak of the devil.”

He opened the message.

**.**

**From: Four-Eyes**

**Received: 4:26 PM**

**LEVIIIII!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU???? YOU’RE NOT ANSWERING THE DOOR!!!!**

.

After tapping on ‘enter message’, he typed out his reply.

.

**I’m stuck at the parking garage. Some shit stain park crooked, and I’m stuck.**

**Sent: 4:29 PM**

**.**

**From: Four-Eyes**

**Received: 4:30 PM**

**POOR BABY! Do you need me to come save you?**

**.**

He smirked at his screen.

.

**No. Why are you at my apartment? What do you need?**

**Sent: 4:32 PM**

.

**From: Four-Eyes**

**Received: 4:33 PM**

**I MISSED YOU, SILLY! I haven’t seen you in a while.**

.

**You saw me Tuesday when you came poking around the office with the lab results.**

**Sent: 4:34 PM**

.

**From: Four-Eyes**

**Received: 4:35 PM**

**BUT THAT WAS THREE DAYS AGOOOO!**

.

**Just head home. I don’t know when I’ll be back.**

**Sent: 4:37**

.

His phone buzzed with a new message.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Levi’s shoulders tensed at the words. He locked his phone and glanced over his shoulders. A teen wearing jeans and white button up shirt with a sloppily done green tie stood by the truck’s driver’s side door. Tanned fingers pushed back strands from his disheveled mop of brunet hair out of verdant eyes.  No. Scratch that. They were the same fucking color as the Caribbean Sea in those promo pictures. Their vibrancy dimmed by the dark circles starting to etch an appearance underneath them.

He narrowed his own eyes. "I don’t know. ‘Can’ you?" he bit out.

"Well, you’re sitting on the hood of my truck, so…"

"This is your truck,” he stated, but he left just enough of a question in it.

He raised his eyes to the roof before turning them back to him. "Yes. I just said that."

"Learn how to park, asshole. How the hell am I supposed to carry on with my day when some random fucker parks crooked so that I can’t get out? Do you know how behind I am now? I should have dinner going; I have laundry to do."

The kid flinched at his words; he blinked rapidly and glanced down.

He arched an eyebrow at the behavior. He knew it.

"Look, sir, I’m sorry. I was in a rush. I was hoping to get in and out before I bothered anyone."

"Well, that didn’t happen, now did it, kid,” he complained, trying to keep some of the harshness from his voice.

"Look, I said I was sorry. Now, sir, can you get off my car so that we can all just go home?"

Levi crossed his legs and propped his hands behind him, keeping careful mind to stay on his coat and not touch the filth-ridden hood. "No."

"What?"

"I can’t move. I’m too tired. I’m physically incapable." He turned away from the kid and focused on the cracks in the cement ceiling.

"Sir, if this is - "

"Yes, this is a way to inconvenience you."

When he didn’t get a response, he glanced back down to see the kid’s eyebrows furrowed, his lips tight, skin puckered and hands clenched in tight fists.

"You look constipated. Why not go and take a shit? You’ve got the time."

"I’m not constipated! I’m ffff - ” His words fizzled out along with his body posture.

“…angry,” came the measured conclusion. “Please, I got it. I apologized; can’t we just get on with our lives? I don’t need this right now.  I’ve got places to be, and I’m sure you do as well. You’ve got dinner and laundry and you probably have to bleach the shower as well…"

"Sundays."

"What?"

"I bleach the shower on Sundays."

His jaw slackened and his brows raised slightly. The corner of lips twisted up. Laughter poured from his lips, his eyes crinkled in mirth. The kid’s face turned to the ground; his brunet hair falling across his face in a choppy veil. After a moment, he stood back up with a smile still dusting his lips.

"Can we please just call it good?" he asked.

"Where do you have to be?" Levi rebutted.

"What?"

He sighed. “Where do you have to be?”

The kid’s eyes widened suddenly. "I’ve got a job. My regular shift started ten minutes ago, and it’s a thirty minute commute. I mean, my boss said I could take the day off, but…money would be nice. I was hoping to get some time in today."

"How’d that happen?"

"What?"

He rolled eyes. “You being late.”

"I had an interview for a scholarship at the college,” he explained before every muscle in his body went slack. His eyes widened as he stared at the man sitting atop his truck.  “Shit. You aren’t a professor are you?"

He felt himself smirk. He could have a bit of fun. “What would you do if I was?”

The kid blanked like those words had made the man Medusa.

A rare smile was granted passage to his lips. “No. I’m a police officer.”

"You don’t look like one. I mean—" he stumbled out.

"Stop while you’re ahead, kid. Is everything good at home?"

His stance shifted, turning the front of his body further away from the man. "What?"

"Just asking. You don’t have to tell me anything,” he responded, raising a hand and turning his attention to his pristine nails.

"How’d you know?" The question was quiet, hesitant.

Levi brought his eyes back to the kid. "Training. Also lived it. Shit childhood. Even shittier adolescence."

The kid blinked at him before turning around and leaning back against his truck.  He couldn’t see his face, but he could see the kid’s muscles taunt and straining through his shirt.

There was silence for a moment, before the brunet started talking.

"My dad…I just don’t know. He hasn’t been the same since Mom died. He’s…he’s been pretty absent. It was annoying at first because he had been so big in my life, but I accepted it. He wanted nothing to do with us - me and my sister - so we got on with life. But…"

"But?"

"Yesterday that…,” his voice hitched. “That…fucker, that fucking asshole…the douchebag came back home and tried to act like nothing happened. After all this shit he put as through, he comes back spewing, "It was for the best. I had to do what was best for you, for us." It’s fucking bullshit!" He punctuated his statement with fist trusted back into the door of his truck.

As the vibrations faded away, Levi thought, _I just broke the kid’s dam, didn’t I?_ Now, he had to see this through. His schedule really was fucked up now.

"I’m sorry," came the quiet apology.

"Don’t be. You needed to blow some steam. It’s good. Just be careful how you do it. Civilly. If not, I’m going to have to have to take you down."

Those eyes darted over his shoulder to meet his. The kid’s nose was scrunched up.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and growled. "Fuck, kid. I’m an officer. Don’t break the fucking law, that’s all I’m saying. Don’t start anything. If things get out of hand call me - us, the station, 9-1-1."

The kid was quiet for a moment, and Levi thought the whole ordeal was over and he could get back to his routine life when he asked, "How ‘bout I buy you a coffee? For the trouble. You guys like coffee, right? And donuts?"

He ‘tched’ and leapt down from the hood of the truck. He snatched his jacket and shook it out. "Cheeky brat. Fix your fucking truck first."

The kid smiled. “So…I didn’t hear a ‘no’ in there.

"Oi, brat,” Levi barked. He cleared his throat and glanced away for a moment when he saw the kid flinch again. “Move your truck, so I can leave. Then, we’ll talk.”

He opened his door and started to climb in. “Uh-uh,” he said. “I do that and you leave. We can talk now, sir.”

Levi shifted his weight to put off the thrill the twitched his muscles when that three lettered word fell from the kid’s lips. “Fine. You’re buying.”

“I already offered that.” He smirked.

“Where are we meeting?”

“How ‘bout the small shop down the street?”

“Fine,” he agreed.

“Well, I guess I’ll be getting out your way, sir.”

“Stop calling me sir,” Levi ordered.

His eyebrows pulled together and his jaw slackened. “Why?”

 _Look at him. Attempting to be innocent. Fine then._ “It makes me feel old.”

“But, I don’t know your name.”

“Levi.”

The kid’s face split wide open with the hugest fucking grin he’d ever seen. “Well, Levi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Eren, and I’ll see you at _The Titan Stop_ in ten minutes.”

“Tch” was his unheard reply as Eren slammed his door shut and the truck’s engine grumbled to life. His name was not any better.

With a cheeky wave, the kid backed out with some degree of skill and drove off.

As he got into his own car, he had a strong urge to just drive to his apartment and go on with his life. But, he’d promised the kid, and he had difficulty breaking promises since…

“Now is not the damn time to think about that you emotionally unstable fucker. You’re about to get a free drink,” he reprimanded himself.

He turned the engine one, blasted the AC and pulled out, following the path that the kid had taken.

About ten minutes later he was pulling into a parking place far away from the little shit’s truck and climbing out of his car against what he was pretty sure was his better judgment. He pocketed his keys and made his way to the little coffee shop at the end of the strip mall. A jangling bell greeted him as he opened the door. He looked around to spy the kid sitting a two person table pushed in the corner by the storefront window. Levi made his way over and sat down.

The kid’s eyes widened as he saw him. “I’m surprised you actually came. I didn’t order because—well, uh, I didn’t know what you liked.”

“I considered not coming,” he answered, crossing his legs and tossing an arm over the back of his chair and letting the other rest on his lap.

His lids receded even further back into his skull at the bluntly honest reply.

“Green tea,” he said.

“No coffee?”

Levi’s lips curled in disgust.

The kid laughed lightly. “I’ll take that as a no. Iced?”

“Tch.” He looked out the window, studied the row of cars and occasional passer-by. “Tea is meant to be hot.”

“No sugar as well?”

“A spoonful and a splash of cream.” He looked over to see the kid’s eyebrows puckered before he shook his head and stood up.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

Levi nodded his head and turned back to look outside.

In no time at all, the chair across from him scraped closer to the table. “They’ll be ready in a minute. Luckily it isn’t too busy.”

He grunted in reply.

“So…”

“What, kid?”

“I’m also kinda surprised you didn’t key my car,” he said after a moment’s pause.

He turned to face him, arching an eyebrow. “Oh, I entertained the thought, quite seriously in fact.”

His eyes widened yet again and his jaw dropped. “Really?”

_Is he only capable of that one expression?_

“Yes.”

“But - you’re a cop! Uphold law and order, justice and such.”

“Yes, and?”

“You were going to key my car!”

“I wouldn’t have been caught,” he answered truthfully.

“You just told me not to break any law. You hypocrite.”

“Old habits are hard to break. Besides,” he shifted to lean his elbows on the table. “I didn’t do it. That’s all that matters here.”

Eren didn’t get the chance to reply because the barista called out, “Hot green tea. Blended Milk-E Way.”

The kid hopped up and came back with the drinks. He set a white paper cup with a lid in front of him, and sat back down with his own drink’s straw already in his mouth.

“What the hell is that?” he asked, pointing to the dark brown slush visible through the clear cup.

“A blended Milk-E Way,” Eren answered around the straw.

Levi arched an eyebrow for explanation as he took the lid off his tea.

“It’s a Mocha with caramel syrup blended with ice.”

“Hmph,” came his reply as he picked up his drink, blew on it and took a sip. Satisfactory. The cream was a bit too heavy for his taste.

“You hold that really weird.”

His eyes looked up to see the kid pointing at his hand gripped over the opening of his cup leaving just enough space between the rim and his pointer finger to drink.

“For me this is a perfectly normal way to hold it,” he snapped.

“Whatever.” He shrugged before setting his drink on the table and leaning forward, wrapping his arms around it. He rested his head at the right height to chew on the tip of the straw. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“I have no doubt in your capability in asking me any question you see fit to.”

“How old are you? I can’t tell. I don’t know. You look pretty young, but you act…old,” he finished quietly in embarrassment.

“I’m thirty-two.”

His brows inched towards his hair as his mouth slackened.

_Ah. There’s that face again._

“Close your mouth.”

Levi could hear his jaw clacking shut.

“Sorry. I just...didn’t think…”

“I was that old?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Eren’s eyes darted down to his drink. His fingers knotted and pulled at each other. “Yeah.”

Returning his arm to the back of his chair, he asked, “You’re what, eighteen?”

“Twenty.”

There was that fucking impossible huge ass grin again.

“I took a break from school after I graduated. We needed the money. Dad wasn’t really helping us. We still had some of Mom’s hospital bills to pay. So, I started working full time while Mikasa—she’s my sister—went on to college with a lacrosse and track scholarship. I started renting out some rooms to get a bit of extra money—our house is huge. I wonder what the hell was going through my parents’ minds when they looked at it and decided that huge ass house was just enough for us.

“Anyways,” he said, leaning back in the chair and stretching his legs out in front of him, “I’ve finally got enough money to keep the house going and finish off Mom’s bills, so I decided I should go back to school. I don’t want to be working at Burger King the rest of my life. Sorry.” His teeth grazed his bottom lip for a moment. “That’s a bit more than you wanted, huh?”

Levi didn’t respond to his question. He’d actually enjoyed listening to the kid talk. He had a much more soothing way of doing it than Hanji or Erwin. He glanced at his watch. It was nearly 5:30. He sighed and snapped the lid back on his drink. “Well, kid, thanks for the drink, but I’ve got a life to get back to.”

Eren’s whole face slackened for a moment and Levi felt his heart fall with it. But, it was quickly stretched back into his wide grin. “Yeah, no problem. I’m sorry about the whole parking issue.”

“It’s forgiven,” he said as he stood and pushed his chair in.

“But not forgotten?”

Levi smirked. “You catch on quickly. I like that.”

“Hey, Levi?”

“Yes?”

The kid’s hands tightened and loosened around his cup. He rocked it back and forth on the table. Just as he was about to complain, Eren said, “Do you think we could maybe do this again sometime? It’s nice talking to someone I don’t know very well, ya know?”

“No.”

“Well, it’s like…everyone I know just assumes what I’m thinking. I mean, yeah, they tend to be right, but it aggravates me that it isn’t me actually just telling them.”

“I’m free next Saturday,” Levi said quickly before he regretted his snap decision. “Same time.”

And with that he left a fucking huge grin on that brat’s face.

O.O.O.o.O.O.O

For some reason, going out for a drink with the kid became a habit. Even when he would be bogged down with a case or when Eren had started classes at the nearby University (they only other time he’d bought Levi’s drink was the soonest Saturday after he got word that he won the scholarship).

“It’s called ‘Humanity’s Hope’,” he had explained.

“Sounds egotistical.”

“Shut up, old man. Just ‘cause your cynical doesn’t mean we all are.” He’d risked a kick at his shin under the table, and Levi had fired a warning growl.

“Anyways, it was an essay and interview and all about what we want to do with our life, how we planned on being the hope for humanity and all that.”

“And?”

“What?”

“Clearly you had a pretty enough idea. What was it?”

Eren had just laughed, shaking his fingers through his bangs, and ignored the question.

Most of their meetings had become silent work and study session where they kept each other company and motivated once the summer ended. Well, mainly it was Levi telling the kid he had to keep his shit together and get his homework done when he started to whine and complain in defeat.

Fairly soon into their meetings, they had agreed to remain acquaintances. That was the enjoyment of their meetings: no strings attached. They only reason they had each other’s numbers was because Eren had wanted to message him a link to a YouTube video of a new band he’d found that he thought Levi would like. Needless to say, he didn’t like them. The kid had made it his mission since then to find a band that Levi liked: new or old. He’d randomly send him messages with a band and song asking if it was something that he liked. They’d all been strikes.

His phone buzzed with a new message notification.

He glanced down at the screen. “Speak of the devil.”

“Leviiii!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up to see Hanji peering into his office.

“What?”

“I got the results in on that gray substance we found at the Wall Street Alley, Mr. Grumpy-Pants,” they called out in a sing-song voice.

He leaned back in his chair as they skipped inside and plopped down in his guest chair.

“Turns out that it’s just cement. However, this composition is specific to - ”

Levi’s phone buzzed with a reminder of his new message, and he glanced down.

A hand reached out and snatched it.

“Hey, shithead!” he shouted.

“Ah-ah,” Hanji tsked, waving a finger. “Harassment in the workplace.” They grinned and looked at his phone. Their eyes grew wider, magnified only further by the goggles resting securely in place. “’The kid’? Who’s ‘the kid’? Did Mr. Grumpy Pants manage to get a boyfriend?”

“Shut up, Hanji. Give it back.”

“No.” They tightened their grip and stuffed it behind their back. “Spill.”

“Hanji.”

“Levi.”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You know that little shit that parked crooked and pinned me in my spot a few months ago?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s him. His name is Eren.”

“So, he pisses you off and gets a screw. That’s admirable.”

“Fuck off, Four-Eyes. I haven’t done anything – ”

“But you want to.”

He shut his mouth. He’d said too much. He should’ve shut up the moment his phone went off.

“What’s he know about…” they trailed off, knowing that Levi would understand what they were referencing.

“Nothing.”

“Maybe you should tell him.”

“No. We agreed that it was nice only being acquaintances. That’s not something you tell an acquaintance.”

Hanji opened their mouth to argue but shut it. “If you think you can keep up that pretense,” they shrugged before placing his phone on the lab results and dashing from his office.

Levi growled and picked up his phone. He unlocked it and selected the message.

.

**From: The Kid**

**Received: 1:36 PM**

**Maybe you’re a classical guy. Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”?  Teacher in class played it today.**

.

He smirked and typed a response.

 **I actually don’t mind that song**.

**Sent: 1:46 PM**

.

The moment he set his phone aside it buzzed again.

“Damn,” he muttered. “Just like Hanji.”

.

**From: The Kid**

**Received: 1:47 PM**

**YES!**

.

He could just picture that grin stretched across his face. His phone buzzed again.

**From: The Kid**

**Received: 1:49 PM**

**Hey, Levi. I don’t think acquaintances is going to work anymore. Could we just get it over and be friends?**

.

**Sure, kid**

**Sent: 1:50 PM**

.

The smile that started crawling across his face immediately retreated back to its cave when he saw Hanji blowing air on his window and drawing a heart with his and Eren’s name in it in the fog.

O.O.O.o.o.o.O.O.O

Everything was peppermint. Drawn snow, snowmen and trees shadowing presents adorned the windows. The shop was stiff with warmth; a delicious contrast from the stinging cold outside. Christmas music played softly over the speakers. The barista at the counter wore a sequined Santa hat and smiled much more than usually.

Levi frowned and paid for his usual before setting up at his and the kid’s table. He had made up his mind that he would tell Eren something about his past. He figured he owed him that. The kid had opened up about his father. Surely he could talk about that.

After a few minutes of nursing his drink, the kid plopped down in front of him with a hot chocolate and a candy cane in his mouth. His body was swallowed by a hideous furry, dark green sweater.

“What the hell is that?”

Eren’s eyes widened before glancing down at his clothes. A light redness dusted his cheeks, turning him into the perfect Christmas present. “Sorry. I just came from a fundraiser at school.”

“Requirement for the scholarship?”

He nodded as he took a sip of his drink.

Levi’s fingers tapped against the edge of the table before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his keys. He selected the smallest one and pinched it between his fingers. He held it up for the kid to see.

“You see this?” he asked.

He nodded.

“This is the one I would’ve used if I had keyed your car that day.”

His eyes widened, but his jaw remained tight around his candy cane.

Levi swallowed. “It belongs to a locker at a subway station in Shina. When I was younger, that was my go-to cache; I stowed away anything of importance that I might need later as well as anything…close to my heart, you could say. I haven’t been back there in seven years. Haven’t needed to. Don’t remember what’s in it now. Hell, they might have cleaned that damn thing out. I don’t know, but I keep the key as a reminder of how far I’ve come.”

The kid started to reach out for it, before thinking twice and pulling his hand back.

He smirked and lowered the key ring into a lap. After a moment, he had worked off the key from the ring. “Give me your hand.”

“What?”

He rolled his eyes. “Give me your hand.”

Eren blinked slowly and obeyed. 

Levi placed the key into his palm and closed his fingers around the small piece of metal. “I want you to have it.”

A small smile pulled at his lips. It was different from his huge ass grin, but he found he liked it just as much. It was sweeter, gentler.

“I used to have two close comrades. Well, they were more like friends. Isabel and Farlan. They followed me. They trusted me. And I promised that I was going to protect them. I broke that promise. Because of what had been in that locker at the time. I looked out for myself one more time, and it cost them their lives. I’ve been holding onto that for a while, and I don’t want to anymore.”

Eren curled his hand up to his chest. “So, you’re giving it to me?”

“Yeah.”

The kid nodded solemnly, and unclasped a necklace Levi had never noticed. He threaded the key onto it so that it hung next to a woman’s wedding ring and put it back on around his neck. He tucked the chain under his sweater.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah. No problem.” He cleared his throat and tossed his arm over the back of the chair, glancing out the window.

“What were you involved in?”

“Shit that an officer shouldn’t be. That’s all that matters.”

“Then how’d you become a cop?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “…I helped on a case. I was arrested. Erwin negotiated that I was released of charges if I shared what I knew; I became a mole during their little investigation.”

“Was he able to do that? Release you free of charges, I mean.”

Levi shrugged. “All that matters is he did it. Now, after cleaning up my shit, I’m here talking to a bratty kid.”

“You keep coming back to talk to this bratty kid. You’re entirely to blame.”

A smile started pulling at his lips, so he raised his cup to his lips to hide it. But, the grin on Eren’s faced signified that he had seen it.

“Speaking of which, when am I going to meet your friends?”

“First, how where we even near that topic? Second, what friends?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Erwin and Hanji. There are a couple others you talk about but I can only remember those names.” He snaps his fingers. “Petra, that’s another. Anyways, I figured you had to be friends with at least one of them.”

“They’re individuals I reluctantly find myself tied to,” he replied in a clipped voice.

“Really? Me too?” His eyes were wide and glistening.

 _Fuck_.

He lowered his cup slightly. “No,” he said softly.

A smile started to pull at Eren’s lips before it stopped short. “Wait. Which question are you answering? The first or the second?”

Levi smirked. “Yes.”

The kid pouted and dropped his head to the table, rattling the napkin container and his Styrofoam cup.  After a moment, he sat back up, a frown etched across his face. “My dad decided he wanted to be home for the holidays.”

He took a moment to respond, waiting to see if Eren would say something else. “How do you feel about it?”

“I don’t know. He promised that he’d keep it together and make amends and all that shit. But, I don’t really trust his promises anymore.”

“With good reason,” he responded.

The kid nodded slowly and picked at his cup. “Hey, Levi?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think you could bring me home?”

He arched an eyebrow.

“A friend of mine carpooled with me to the event and dropped me off. I was hoping I could snatch a ride from you.”

“And what if I say no?”

“Then I better start walking.”

“I guess you better.”

He frowned.  “The fuck. Really?” he grumbled.

Levi’s eyes widened slightly at the outburst. “No. I’ll drive you. Where do you live?”

“In Shiganshina. The edge of it anyways. It’s about fifteen minutes away.”

“You better pay for gas. That’s opposite of me.”

“Of course!”

“Good.” He took a sip of his cooled tea. Eren’s smile stopped him from grimacing.

O.O.O.o.o.o.O.O.O

He groaned and pushed himself from his pillows. He wiped a hand across his face and reached out for his blaring phone. He squinted at the bright screen; his eyes were too blurry to read the Caller ID. Feeling in the mood for a game of Russian Roulette, or maybe he just wanted to tell whoever thought it was wise to call him this early today to fuck off, he answered it and put the receiver to his ear.

“’’Lo?” he mumbled out, struggling against his sleep numbed tongue.

“Levi? Is that you?”

“Mhmm…Who is this? Do you have any idea  – ”

“It’s me, Eren. Um. I know. I hate to call you, but you’re the only one I could think of. Could you maybe come and get me?”

“From where?” he grumbled, collapsing back on his bed and giving into to the seductive tendrils of sleep.

“My house.”

“Why would I need to get you from your house?”

The other end of the line was silent.

Levi’s brain sparked to life, and he sat up, tossing the covers from his body.

“Eren, I’m on my way. Are you okay?”

A shaky breath crumpled the air on the line. “Not really. Can you just hurry? You remember where my house is?”

“Yeah,” he grunted out as he decided that he didn’t have time to slip something on over his briefs and white undershirt. He snatched his keys from the dish and slipped on a pair of snow boots and his jacket.  “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll go a little past the house just to be safe.”

“Okay.”

“Just hang in there,” he said as he shut the door behind him, not bothering with locking it. The December air clawed at his skin as it puckered in attempt to protect him.

“Levi?”

“Yeah, kid?”

“Can you not hang up? You don’t have to talk or anything…”

He paused briefly in his stride. “Yeah. I’ll be right here.”

“Thanks.”

Levi climbed into this car and started it up. He mumbled a string of curses as he waited an abhorrent amount of time for it to defrost. Finally, he pulled out and headed to his house. The silence of the absent radio was filled with the constant whirring of the dry heated AC, the hum of other cars and Eren’s steady breathing. White light whipped through the darkness of his car as he passed under the streetlights.

It seemed forever even though Levi was speeding the entire way. He pulled up to the curb just past the house.

“I’m here,” he said.

“Okay. I see you. I’m climbing out the window.”

“You fucking better be hanging up.”

A light laugh. “I am.”

“Good. See you in a minute.”

The line cut off and Levi stashed his phone in the cup-holder. He adjusted his rearview mirror to watch the one window on this side of the house behind him.

It slowly slid up. A dark figure with a hunched back backed out until it was dangling, feet scraping the bricks.

His fingers gripped the gear shift as he readied himself to shift to park and dash out to catch the kid. And he almost did when the figure swung to the side and dropped.

The dark mass landed lightly on a small shed attached to the side of the house a few feet away from the window.

“Damn kid’s cutting it close.”

Eren lay on his belly and slowly inched himself over the edge until he hung about a foot from the ground. He let go. After a moment, he sprinted to Levi’s car and jumped in. His chest heaved as he slipped a backpack off his shoulders and set it on his lap.

“Thanks – ” he started before Levi’s hand cupped his jaw.

His eyes studied the battered face before him. Rage tore at his chest. Eren’s nose was swelling. He could barely make out his left eye through the narrow slit the puffed up flesh was revealing.  Blotches of green tinted purple were surfacing, and a slick, red slit was carved into his left arm.

The kid tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace around his cracked lower lip. “This is nothing. Wait ‘til you see my left leg. I think it might be broken.”

“That fucker,” Levi growled.  “Don’t you have renters in that house? Shouldn’t they have done something?”

“They’re mainly students. They’re gone for the holidays.”

“No good fucking scum of the earth,” he hissed out as he leaned over and popped the glove compartment open.

“What are you doing?”

He pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

“What the hell does it look like I’m fucking doing? I’m arresting that no good son of a fucking bitch.”

A hand wrapped around his wrist.

He looked up to meet one eye and a slit.

“You can’t.”

“I’m a cop. I might be off-duty but you bet your fine ass I can arrest him.”

Eren tried to smile again. “No you can’t.”

“Why the fuck not?”

A light blush joined the multitude of colors already on his face. “You can’t arrest my father wearing that.”

He glanced down at his attire, fully realizing the fact that he had come to get this brat in his briefs and a thin, cotton t-shirt.  “I can arrest him wearing whatever the fuck I want.”

“Please, Levi. Can we just go?”

“Fine.” He tossed his cuffs back in and shut the compartment. He sat up. “We’re going to the department. You’re filing charges.”

“Not now, Levi.”

“Yes.”

“Please. I just want to take a shower, sleep, rest. Please.”

“Hospital.”

“Tomorrow.”

He sighed. “Fine.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, kid.”

O.O.O.o.o.o.O.O.O

He was fucking exhausted by the time he had dragged Eren up the three flights of stairs to his apartment because the shitty landlord had yet to get the elevator fixed. Levi pushed the door open and pulled the limping teen inside, kicking the door shut. Eren flinched at the resounding bang.

“Sorry,” Levi murmured.

“It’s fine,” the kid breathed as he pulled away from him.

“First thing’s first. We’ve got to get that nose taken care off.”

“What?” He attempted to squint through his swollen cheeks and lids.

“A typical nose doesn’t look like that,” he explained as he shrugged off his coat and placed it back on its hanger in the front closet as well as slipping his boots off.  “It’s not too crooked, so it should be a simple fracture. I just want to get some ibuprofen in you and ice it. Can you breathe?” he asked as he began to dig through his frequently used medicine cabinet.

“You sure know a lot about this,” the kid mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing. I don’t know. I guess. I’ve just been breathing through my mouth.”

Levi filled a glass with water and passed it to Eren along with the two pills. “Take a hot shower.”

“When?”

“In about twenty minutes after your done icing,” he answered as he dug out a dishrag and wrapped an icepack. “It’ll help loosen dried blood.”

“Wait. I’m taking a shower here?”

“Yes. Did you not _just_ hear me?”

“Well…But I’ve got nothing to wear.”

Handing over the icepack, he walked around Eren and into his bedroom. “I’m sure I can find something you’ll fit in.” He eyed the kid for a moment before digging out an old pair of sweatpants and a shirt two sizes too big that Hanji had bought. He still wasn’t sure if they had bought it for shits and giggles or had really expected him to wear it at some point.

He laid the clothes on the counter in the bathroom and placed a fresh, white towel on the bar near the shower. Leaving the small room, he made his way back to the main area to see Eren still standing in the kitchen with the ice pressed gently to his nose.

“You should get off that leg.”

“I didn’t want to sit anywhere. You know, with you and your OCD tendencies.”

Levi paused. That was…actually fairly thoughtful of the kid. And yes, he loathed the filth that covered Eren touching any of his pristine surfaces, but now wasn’t a time to let that dictate his actions. He yanked over a wooden chair from his kitchen table and dragged it over to him. “Sit,” he said and left to scour his front closet.

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Looking for a plastic chair. I’d rather you not stand and take a shower.”

“I can multi-task.”

“Not with those injuries.”

A beat. “You could just give me a sponge bath.”

Levi pursed his lips and swallowed the churning bubbling up from his stomach. “Funny, kid.”

He finally found the old thing shoved in the very back behind boxes he hadn’t unpacked. _Boxes, really? I didn’t think I had that much shit._ Shaking his head, he stepped from the closet and shut the door holding onto the plastic, folding chair. He headed straight to the bathroom and pushed back the shower curtain. The chair creaked open. It just barely fit, scuffing the sides.

“Tch,” he muttered under his breath has he scrubbed at the black mark with his thumb. “Shit.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and let the damage flow from his mind for now. He pushed his hands down on the seat, testing the strength of the legs. Once he was satisfied, he made his way back to where Eren sat waiting.

“Okay. You should be good to go. Just don’t die or injure yourself. I will not have my tub fucking scuffed just for you to—”

“Aw. Are you worried about me, Levi?”

“No, kid. I just don’t want my effort and my poor tub’s sacrifice to be in vain. Everything’s in there already. Clean yourself off. Take a shit if you need to. Do whatever nightly rituals you’ve got, just don’t you dare fucking touch my toothbrush.”

Eren’s lips struggled to pull into what Levi assumed to be a smile. “Will do.”

“Do you need help getting there?”

He shook his head, brunet hair matted with dried blood fell in clumps across his forehead.

“Good. Get going.”

The kid set the ice pack on a counter. With a huff he pulled himself up and shuffled towards the bathroom in a trudging lope.

“Tch.” _He’s going to reinjure himself if he never gives himself a break._

With an exhausted sigh, he collapsed onto the couch. His legs stretched out straight in front of him, and his arms tossed out over the top. It really did pain him that the kid hadn’t let him take him to the hospital, but he couldn’t push himself to force him to do something he was adamantly against. Not after what he had just gone through.

Levi’s heart clenched for a moment before roaring to life, engulfed in flames that burned hotter, stronger and farther with each passing second. People like that pissed him off to no end.

“You hypocrite. That was you not too long ago,” a snarling voice hissed through his mind.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, cinching his eyes shut.

He never did such a thing to those he cared for, to those who looked up to him. That was just a miscalculation. That’s all. A fucking asinine miscalculation that he shouldn’t have made. Despite that, that was over. Nothing like that would happen again. He wouldn’t let it. He would protect his own, and right now—for some reason unknown to him—Eren was his own.

A shuffled limp signified the kid’s arrival.

He lifted his lids and looked over to the door. The shirt fit him surprisingly well. Maybe he’d just let the kid keep it. It’d be a cold day in hell before he ever wore it. He found it difficult to bit back a smirk at the sweatpants that hit Eren just above the ankle. Most of the blood had been removed from the cuts he could see, but they still puckered hideously and bruises still matted his skin. His hair was dark and plastered in wet strips on his forehead and cheeks; beads of water dribbled down his face.

“You’re hair’s soaking.”

“I just took a shower.”

“You’re going to catch a cold,” he grumbled, pushing himself onto his feet. He held out a hand. “Give me that towel.”

Eren handed over the white, fluffy cloth that was draped over one shoulder.

Levi took it and tossed it over the kid’s head. Stuffing down his pride, he stood on his toes and rubbed the towel vigorously. Once satisfied that he had completed the job, he pushed the towel from the kid’s head to his shoulders.

“Thanks. You know, you’re shorter than I thought.”

“Shut the fuck up!” He jutted his chin out. “How’s the leg?”

“Sucks.”

“Well sit down.”

The kid stepped around him and started towards the couch.

“No, you idiot, the bed.”

“What bed?”

“In the bedroom.”

His eyes widened. “No, I couldn’t.”

“Listen, brat, you’re sleeping in the bed.”

“Okay,” he drew out.

“C’mon.” Levi wrapped his arm around the kid’s waist and placed his arm around his shoulders.

“Thanks.”

He only grunted as he guided the kid to his bedroom and gently eased him onto the mattress.

“Where are you sleeping?”

“The couch.” Levi stacked his pillows on top of each other so that Eren’s head would be raised.

“But – ”

“Don’t worry about me.  Just lay back,” he said as he got an extra pillow from the top of his closet—which he could reach, thank-you-very-much-you-snot-bag—and placed it under Eren’s leg. He pulled the sheet up and let it float down over his body.

“You’re a good man, Levi,” he mumbled through sleep.

The man’s heart clenched. “You’re not so bad yourself, brat.”

The kid fell asleep immediately.

Levi sighed and pushed a damp lock of hair from his forehead before carefully pulling the towel out from under him.

“Not so bad yourself,” he muttered as he walked out.

O.O.O.o.o.o.O.O.O

He woke up to a stiff neck and something burning. He flinched and scrubbed away at the unyielding muscles, standing up.

“What the fucking hell?” he growled as he blinked through lingering haze of sleep only to discover that his eyes weren’t the issue. His apartment was starting to fill with smoke.

“Shit!” he shouted. He stormed across the room and shoved the windows open. Cold air knocked the wind from him. Small pinpricks of ice stung his bare hands. He clenched his fingers repeatedly, trying to bring some warmth into them as he shoveled the smoke outside.

After the air in his apartment was clean apart from the lingering smell of blackened food, he turned to face a shrinking form huddled over a pan at the stove.

“Merry Christmas,” Eren said, cringing away from him.

“’Merry Christmas’? What the fuck? Is my gift a burnt apartment and an angry landlord? Just what I wanted.”

“Crap. I’m sorry. I wanted to make you breakfast as a thank you. Now I remember why Mikasa never let me cook.”

“How the hell do you burn fucking toast in the fucking toaster?” he asked as he peered into the machine at the darkened husks of…bread?

“I don’t know, but I must’ve found the way.” He attempted a small smile.

“Don’t get smart with me, kid.  And why hell are you standing on that leg?”

Eren shifted his weight and struggled to hide a grimace. “It’s doing better.”

“Bullshit.” Levi stepped forward and wrapped one of the kid’s arms over his shoulders as he stuck his head under his armpit. He stooped and grasped his good leg. With a deep breath, he stood.

“Levi?”

“What?”

“You’re carrying me.”

“Fucking brilliant this one,” he gritted out as he shuffled to the couch. Once he reached it, he gently put Eren down and stood up. “Now sit,” he commanded. “And stay.”

“Yes, sir—captain officer.”

Levi’s muscles twitched with sudden heat. “Don’t call me that.”

He grinned. “Sorry.”

“No, you aren’t, you little shit.”

The kid’s grin widened as he sunk back into the cushions. “So, what are you by the way? Ebenezer Scrooge. There aren’t any Christmas decorations.”

“I hate Christmas.”

“Why? Did Santa bring you coal one year for that potty mouth of yours and you never forgave him?”

“No, you little shit,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath. He was really going to tell the kid this, wasn’t he?  “Today’s my birthday.”

Eren froze, his eyes wide and jaw slack.

 _Really? Does he not have_ any _other expressions?_ But, Levi couldn’t move himself to be too aggravated. He had grown attached to it.

“I woke you up on your birthday thinking your apartment was burning down, didn’t I?”

“Yes. Happy birthday to me. Great present, kid.”

His face fell. All the muscles went slack, but those aggravatingly endearing deer-in-headlight-eyes weren’t there. Nothing was there. Then, the muscles spasmed and crumbled, puckering and contorting in pain. Eren leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, grinding the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. “I’m a failure. I can’t do fucking anything right,” he grumbled before he lashed out and pounded his fists against the couch. The old thing creaked in protest.

“Hey, leave my couch out of this,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn’t work.

“I’m sorry.  Dad’s right. I’m so fucking useless.”

Levi bit back a grunted sigh; it felt like he had been punched in the gut. He squatted down and tried to peer through the curtain of brunet mop to see Eren’s face. “Look at me.”

No response.

He raised a hand and smacked him upside the head. “I said look at me, kid.”

He did. Those ocean eyes had changed elements; they blazed like a forest fire.

Swallowing, he said, “No, you’re not. You got that scholarship, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

“No. You got it. You were accepted to college in the first place, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You got a job to pay off your mom’s medical bills and support of huge-ass house, and when that wasn’t quite enough, you got renters, right?”

“Yeah. Well, Mikasa suggested the idea.”

Levi growled until Eren pursed his lips. “You somehow managed to survive parking like a fucking asshole and pinning me in, right?”

He smirked. “Yeah.”

“You were stubborn as fuck and somehow managed to put up with this asshole, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How is that nothing? Look, kid, I might not know a lot about you; I’ve only known you for…hell, I’ve known you for nine months, and I might not know everything, but I do know this. You are stubborn as fuck, you can be angry as fuck, but all for the right reasons. Sure the end result might not be desired, but your effort is admirable.” He stood up and rubbed his legs. “You’re good. Maybe not the best, but neither am I. And if that shit excuse for a human who has the nerve to call himself your father can’t see it, it’s his loss.”

A choked sob came from Eren, and Levi feared he’d broken him. Strong arms shot out and snatched his waist, pulling him close. A damp face buried in his stomach. The kid’s body shuddered violently.

“You’re good, kid. You’re good,” he calmed, rubbing a hand up and down his back.

“Thanks, Levi,” he said after several minutes, pulling back with a sniff. He picked up the neck of his shirt and wiped his nose.

“Tch. Filthy. You’re definitely keeping that now.” He looked down and pinched his own tear stained and snot patched shirt.  “Hey kid, you could burn this, right? You did breakfast so beautifully, a cotton shirt should be easy.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Fuck, Levi.”

“You’re so persistent.”

There was that expression he loved.

What?

“Tch. Calm down, kid. It was a joke. I was trying to get you to laugh. Don’t take it so seriously. I’m going to take a shower. You, stay. I don’t want you up on that leg.”

He pouted. “But, I’m hungry.”

“Well, you should’ve thought of that before you burnt my food. You can wait until I’m dress, and then we can stop somewhere to get breakfast.”

He smiled.

O.O.O.o.o.o.O.O.O

They were at their table in _The Titan Stop_. Even after coming here from nine months, he still didn’t understand the name.

Eren sat across from him in his usual chair, bundled up in a sweater he had managed to stuff into his backpack.

 _Yeah_ , he thought bitterly, crossing his legs and tossing his arm over the back of his chair. He turned to look out the window. The small pinpricks of ice had grown into a constant powder, as if someone had upended a shaker of powdered sugar. Fucking Eren had forgotten about his backpack that had slipped onto the car’s floor on the way to Levi’s apartment last night. The backpack that had changes of clothes and toiletries and various other things he had deemed important. But, Levi couldn’t bring himself to be too aggravated. The kid had had the shit beat out of him by that man. It was a miracle he was in as good of shape as he was. Speaking of which, he still had to drag him to the hospital after this before the snow got too heavy.

“Whatcha thinking ‘bout?” the kid asked around a mouthful of iced pastry.

“Chew your food before you talk,” he snapped.

Eren made a show of smacking his jaws together as nosily as possible before swallowing.

“Cheeky brat,” Levi grunted as he tightened his jacket around his chest and took a sip of his tea.

“So?”

“I need to get you to the hospital after you finish eating.”

“I’m doing fine,” he protested.

“You don’t look fine. I highly doubt you’re feeling fine. _I’d_ feel much better if I got a doctor to give you the all clear.”

“All right.”

“I’ve got to piss. We can leave once I get back,” he said as he pushed himself up from his chair.

The bathroom was not half bad. He was expecting to find the toxic waste of World War III inside, but he wasn’t cringing in disgust. It was another reason he could put on his list of why this small café was one of his favorite places. After opening the door with a couple paper towels, he tossed the trash away and stepped out. He stepped up to the table. “Ready?”

Eren’s eyes were focused on his clasped hands. He cleared his throat. “Uh, you wanna sit down first?”

“Why?”

“Just…please?”

Levi stuffed his hands in his pockets. With a sigh, he sat down. “What is it?”

“Um…well, you’ve been—you’ve done so much for me, and I wanted to thank you. That breakfast didn’t work. And now it’s your birthday, too. I didn’t, I wasn’t sure what I could do. I don’t have a lot of money—broke college student and all that. But, I wanted to…do something, ya know.”

He squirmed. He didn’t do this touchy-feely stuff very well. “Get with it.” He swallowed. That sounded harsh. “Eren,” he added as a second thought.

The kid’s face flushed.  He shifted his hands and fiddled with a thin loop of metal he’d been holding on to.  He set it down on the table.

Levi wanted to make a smart remark about what a lousy proposal this was, but he bit his tongue. Now probably wasn’t the time to say anything. Hell, if he did and Hanji had been here, they probably would’ve pinched his ear and reprimanded him for being such a dumb fuck.

“It’s my mom’s ring. It’s…It means a lot to me. It’s the only thing I really have, ya know. I guess you can’t really do much with it. Like, I can’t do much with this key,” he said as he fingered the metal looped on the chain that was now pulled free from his shirt. “But that doesn’t mean—You could always pawn it if you needed money. I mean, I hope you don’t. That would suck.”

“Hey, kid,” he said as he reached forward and pinched the thin, silver metal between his fingers. Three diamonds were implanted in the metal; two more should’ve been there, but they were missing. It was a bit small for his thumb so he slipped it on to his middle finger. It clung loosely to his finger. “Thanks.” He found that he really meant it.

That gentle smile curled Eren’s lips before he rattled them and sat back. “Wow. All right. ‘Nuff of that. Hospital I guess?”

Levi looked up from the band of silver. “Hospital,” he agreed.

O.O.O.o.o.o.O.O.O

It had been about three weeks since Eren had been discharged from the hospital. His leg had been broken, his ribs fractured, and the doctor had been amazed he didn’t have a concussion but wanted to keep him for observation for a few days to make sure he healed properly and nothing else popped up. Levi’d finally convinced the kid to file a report and just as he finally got that arrest warrant the fucker had dashed off and slipped into hiding. Eren’s sister had come home from school and was taking her spring semester online so that she could keep an eye on him. He liked her. Direct. To the point. Protective. And she knew how to keep her brother out of trouble.

His thumb spun Eren’s ring around his finger. He hadn’t seen the kid since he told him his dad had skipped town, just around New Year’s; he ended up leaving with him unconscious and tucked in his hospital bed with a blond friend of his sitting at his side. No goodbye. He missed him. But, he didn’t want to smother the kid, and criminals had decided to leak from the woodwork this past month. A sharp buzzing cut through his thoughts. He glanced at the Caller ID: The Kid. Guilt clenched his heart. He should’ve made more of an effort to see him, check up on him. He waited until the last moment before answering the call.

“What is it?”

“Are you busy?”

His eyes glanced over the files and pictures of a recent murder case he had brought home. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, slumping back into this couch. “No, perfectly free. Why?”

“Could you maybe pick me up from my house? Mikasa’s suffocating me, and I’d like to get away for a little.”

“Don’t you have that big ass truck you can’t park correctly to save your life?”

He laughed. “Uh, no. Well, yeah, I’ve got it, but it’s not in working order. Dad kinda…well, it’s just goin’ to take a bit of money that I don’t have to fix it. So…”

“Bastard,” Levi growled.

“Yeah. You don’t have to—Well, you can just drop me off somewhere like Ar—No. He won’t be much better. The park. Yeah. You can just drop me off at the park.”

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “It’s six.”

“So?”

“So? So, kid, it’s fucking winter. The sun’s going down earlier. It’ll be dark before you know it, and I’ll have to come get you. Besides, there’s about six inches of snow on the ground.”

“I can take care of myself, Levi.”

“Like hell you can. I’m coming to get you, and I’m staying with you.” Without another word, he hung up. He stood and stretched his arms above his head. Levi shuffled over to his closet and pulled out his coat. He pocketed his phone and wallet, snatched his keys and headed out the door, wrapping his black scarf around his neck.

Thankfully, it wasn’t snowing, but the street was still littered with iced slush. He hated it. He hated driving in this. He hated snow. He hated winter. He hated the cold. But, he liked Eren. His thumb twirled the silver band around his finger again.

After twice the time it normally would, he pulled in front of the house. He didn’t even get a chance to shift into park before the kid ran out.

Eren tossed the door open and launched himself inside, slamming it behind him.

“Careful,” Levi warned, worried that the kid would re-injure himself.

“Drive!” he shouted in response.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to answer any questions, and I’m sure you don’t want to be in the way of Mikasa’s furry. Now, drive!”

He didn’t need any more encouragement to speed off as quickly as possible when the threat of black ice was imminent.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, kid.”

“Would you just say ‘you’re welcome’ for once?”

“You’re welcome.”

He got a huffy laugh in return. “You’re something else, Levi.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“The park is still a good idea.”

“The sun is setting.”

“So?”

He risked a brief moment to arch an eyebrow and look over to the kid. “So? It’s fucking cold. It’s getting dark. Does that answer your asinine ‘so’?”

“Please?”

He grumbled, twirling the ring. “Fine. I fucking hate winter.”

It took them almost forty-five minutes to drive five miles to the nearest park. Levi pulled into a parking spot. “I fucking hate winter.”

“You’ve said that already.”

“Because it’s the truth.”

“But—”

Levi turned to look at Eren. “Don’t give me that, “But it’s so beautiful” crap. It’s too cold. It’s too wet. No.”

“All right.” He raised his hands in defeat. His eyes darted out the windshield, and Levi’s followed.

He scanned the white park highlighted by spots of yellow light. Well, he was being generous with white. Children had tramped through the snow creating dips and holes in its previously flat surface. The white was stained with mud and animal shit. He shivered despite the blazing heat pouring from the vents

“Don’t get me wrong,” Eren said, “this is nice. But I can’t see the stars. Could we go outside?”

“You can freeze your ass off to look at balls of gas, but I’m staying right here where it’s warm.”

The kid looked away, pouting.

Levi didn’t think he knew he was doing it, but the look was still there. He huffed. “Fine.” He rolled down their windows and shut the car off. He climbed out of the window, propped a foot on the bottom of it and pushed himself up onto the roof. A moment later Eren was next to him.

“Why not the hood? Does the roof make you feel taller?” A cheeky grin pulled his lips.

“Tch. Fuck you, kid. Fuck you,” he grumbled.

When he didn’t get a response, he looked out the corner of his eyes to see him hunched over; his brunet hair almost fully hiding the dark blush the filled his cheeks; small puffs of air spouted from his lips.

Levi tucked his arms under his head and laid back, crossing his ankles. His eyes studied the pinpricks of light in the darkness.

“What’s up with the blush, kid?” he asked.

“Could you stop calling me ‘kid’?”

His words clenched Levi’s heart; they were more of a command than a request. He wriggled. “Why?”

“I don’t like it is all.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t okay. Fuck.”

He traced the shadowed outline of taunt shoulders. He reached out, but the moment his fingers brushed against Eren, the kid flinched away.

“Hey,” he said as he started to push himself up, but he was pinned down.

Eren hovered above him on all fours. One of his knees was pressed close to the middle of his legs while the other rested near his hip. His hands were braced against the roof on either side of his head. His eyes glistened in the shadow that had hold of his face.

“I’m not a kid,” he whispered before arching his back as he leant down and pressed his lips to Levi’s.

He waited for him to take control; he really did. He _wanted_ him to take control, but the kid—Eren—was too unsure. Levi reached up, trailing his fingers along the backside of Eren’s arms before knotting them in his mess of hair. He deepened the kiss, sucking at his lips. The brunet struggled to keep up with him.

Levi propped his feet up flat against the roof. He pushed himself against Eren’s knee and thrusted his pelvis up to his, trailing along his leg the whole way.

Eren gasped into his mouth. He flattened his body out, pushing it into Levi’s. He raised an arm and wrapped it around his waist, pressing the two closer until no spare amount of space separated them. With a few shaky movements, he pulled them up so that they were sitting; their legs entwined and bodies melding.

For once Levi was taller than him, and for once he really didn’t want to be. He wanted to shrink down, melt into this embrace and let himself be engulfed by Eren.

Fingers gripped his hair and yanked his head back; his black scarf was unthreaded from his neck. Lips moved from his to explore the new expanse of skin that had been opened to them. Teeth grazed tender flesh before tongue swiped across to cool it and lips suckled it in apology.

“Christ, kid,” Levi breathed out, the cold air searing his lungs.

The brunet attacked the patch of skin at the base of his neck and shoulder.

Levi’s fingers lost strength and fell to his shoulders. “Eren.”

After a moment, he pulled away and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. A sharp laugh broke the quiet.

“Way to ruin the moment, kid.”

“Levi,” he growled before going back to the tender flesh under his jaw.

“God. If you keep doing this every time I call you ‘kid’, you know I’m never going to stop, right?” He didn’t know if it was the cold air or Eren’s lips that were causing the burst of goosebumps scattering across his skin and the shivering; he figured it was probably the latter.

Eren laughed lightly as he wrapped his other arm around his waist and buried his face in Levi’s neck.

“Oh, no you don’t,” he grumbled.

The brunet pulled back, brows furrowed and jaw slack.

Levi shift and settled down between Eren’s legs and curled his arms between his chest and Eren’s as he pressed his face against the kid’s heart. Nice and warm.

His head shook as Eren laughed.

“I wouldn’t have thought of you as a cuddler if I wasn’t seeing this myself.”

“Shut up. If you tell anyone, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He pressed a kiss against his temple and held him tighter.

 _Okay_ , Levi thought _, maybe winter isn’t too bad if it brings this._

 


	2. Snow Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The snow hasn't stopped falling since yesterday morning. Eren believes it's a perfect time to stay in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it snowed like crazy yesterday and most of today. Campus was closed. Hence, the inspiration for this. I really wanted some snow day fluff.
> 
> I hope ya'll enjoy! I'll probably be doing small updates like this sporadically with short little tales about their mishaps and happystances.

“Do you think there’ll be a snow day?” he had asked, peering through the curtains as he munched a spoonful of cereal.

“Sit the fuck down, you’ll spill milk everywhere,” he had snapped as he took his own seat at the table unfolding the newspaper. “It’s been snowing for an hour. I think you’ll have school today, kid.”

Cold lips pressed against the sensitive skin behind his ear. His fingers spasmed and he struggled to keep his paper from crinkling.

“Eren,” he had growled, his eyes darting up to see that huge-ass smug grin.

“I meant tomorrow. It’s supposed to keep snowing.”

He had shivered. He hated the snow.

“It’d have to be a fuck-ton of snow. Colleges don’t close campus easily. You might get a delay.”

His paper had been pulled from his grasp and somehow Eren had settled into place on his lap, his legs dangling over the sides. His arms had come up to rest on his shoulders.

“I’m not familiar with that measurement,” he had said, nuzzling Levi’s neck. “Exactly how much is a fuck-ton?”

He had squirmed—no, twisted underneath Eren, trying to push him off. “Oi, brat. You have class in an hour. You don’t have time.”

“Sounds like plenty of time to me.”

“No. You have class. Do you remember what you promised when I agreed to this?”

His bottom lip had curled, jutting out. “Yeah,” he had mumbled.

“Good. Now finish getting ready for class.” With a quick peck to the kid’s lips, he had stood up, the tall lanky body falling from his lap. “I’ll drive you today.”

That had been yesterday morning. He was now staring out at fuck-ton of snow, and it just kept falling. His eyes flickered over to the green numbers flashing on the screen of his oven: 6:45.

He pressed his forehead against the cold pane; his breath fogged up the glass. It was too late for this shit. Yes, technically winter was still in full swing, but once January ended, he was done with snow. Granted, he was done with it before it even began.

Sighing, he pushed himself away from the window and walked over to Eren’s form sprawled out on the couch. He reached down and ruffled his hair.

“Wake up.”

He grumbled incoherently and turned to face the back of the couch curling in on himself and pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

“We don’t have time for this. You want to know what a fuck-ton of snow looks like? Go look outside. If you don’t want to be late for class, get up.”

Eren flipped onto his back. His eyes opened slowly. Sleep bleared the usually bright irises. A hand lifted and rubbed viciously at his lids; it left his eyes looking red and even more tired. “I don’t want to,” came his mumbled slur.

“Up,” Levi barked, reaching down and yanking the blanket off him.

He yelped and leapt from the couch, crashing into the short man as he did so. The two started a fall for the ground until Eren planted his feet and wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist, holding him close until they were both balanced.

“Wait. Did you say ‘fuck-ton of snow’?”

“Yes.”

The brunet was gone in the blink of an eye, bounding towards the window. He shoved the curtains away and shoved his face against the glass and streaking it with oil.

“Tch,” Levi muttered under his breath as he went to the kitchen and flipped on the coffee maker. “Keep pressing your dirty ass face against my window and I’ll have you clean it and the whole damn apartment while you’re at it.”

“Oops. Sorry.” He lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe away the streaks. The few weak rays of sun that the snow reflected highlighted the plains of his stomach.

Levi cleared his throat and looked away, opening the cabinet to get a mug out.

“Wow. It’s so pretty. We’ve got our own winter wonderland!”

“Tch. That crap should stay in the movies.”

Arms snuck around his waist. A heavy chin dug into his shoulder. Warm breath ghosted over his ear.

“You’re so grouchy.”

“I have to drive in this shit,” he said, watching his coffee drip into the pot one agonizing drip at a time. Why couldn’t it go faster?

“So do I.”

“Like I’d let you drive in this. I’m driving you to school.”

“Aw, Levi, you care.”

“Of course I do, kid.”

Warm lips encapsulated the lope of his ear.

“Eren, not now,” he complained, elbowing the brunet.

He let out a huffy laugh and backed away, but his hands still rested on Levi’s hips.

“Hey! Maybe I don’t have class!” The hands left his body. He was hesitant to say that he missed the warmth.

“Maybe,” he said, pouring the steaming, dark coffee into his mug.

“Look at that.”

“What?” He turned around and leaned back against the counter, bringing the mug to his lips.

“The e-mail.” He flashed the screen of his phone at Levi. “I don’t have class. Fuck yeah.”

He took a sip. “Well, I still have work.”

“But—”

“You think a bit of snow stops criminals?”

“Maybe you could call in sick?”

“Why the hell would I do that? So I can stay with you? If I wanted a puppy, I would’ve gone to the God damn pet store.”

Eren flinched at his words. The muscles in his jaw tightened for a brief moment before his eyes darted down to look at Levi’s bellybutton.

He sighed.  “Look, I—”

“I know. In jest and all.” He perked back up. His grin was back, though it appeared a bit forced.  “Look at it this way: you call in sick, you don’t go out in the snow. You can avoid the whole horrid affair.”

“And stay here with you.”

“That’s just a bonus.”

Levi allowed the corner of his lips to curl up slightly. He raised a hand and ruffled Eren’s hair. Bad idea. Rich brunet strands fell unceremoniously across his forehead; the ends of some brushed against his eye lashes. His eyes crinkled as he smiled and corrected his hair. Levi’s heart clenched.

“So?”

“So what?” He took a gulp of coffee.

“You not gunna go to work?”

“I’ll see.”

There was his pout. “You’ll see?”

“I have to call Erwin and see if he could even afford it.”

“But if you were sick—”

“I’m not going to lie.”

“But—”

“I’m done with lying,” he insisted, meeting his gaze with a stern one of his own.

“Fine. Now call. The sooner you do it, the more time we have.”

“Tch. Impatient brat,” he murmured as he shuffled into his bedroom and plucked his phone from the charger. Unlocking it, he scrolled through his contacts until he found Erwin’s number. He dials it and turns around to see Eren leaning up against the doorframe, his face pursed in seriousness and concentration.

“Hello.”

“Erwin, it’s Levi.”

“Let me guess, someone doesn’t know how to drive in the snow and you may be late.”

“Actually I was going to ask if I could take the day off. I’ll come in if you need me. Things—”

“Of course.”

“What?”

“Of course.”

“This is very uncharacteristic of you.”

“Well, I’m feeling the holiday mood.”

“The holiday? It’s been over a month,” he snapped.

“Eren wants you to stay? I read that his campus was closed today.”

“How the fuck—No. I don’t want to. Yes. The answer to your question is yes.”

“Hanji,” Erwin called off into the distance. “I owe you that coffee. You were right.”

He heared shitty glasses cackle over the phone, followed by a garbled, “I told you. Don’t doubt my powers of perception in these matters.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Levi. I can’t let you off more than a day.”

“Happy early Valentine’s Day, sweetie!” Hanji called out.

The line went dead.

He pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at the screen.

“What? What did he say?”

Levi looked up. Eren’s face was pinched in worry. His teeth grazed his bottom lip.

“He can’t give you the day, huh? I figured. Thanks for trying though.”

Tossing his phone onto the bed, he walked over to the brunet. “Don’t assume things, brat. It’ll get you into trouble.” He pushed passed him into the living room.

“Wait. So it was a yes?! You’re staying home with me!”

“It appears so.”

Arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him into a firm chest. Eren rocked them back and forth, side to side. Levi felt himself smiling at his enthusiasm.

“I wish you had a fireplace.”

“Well I don’t.”

“I know!” he shouted, dashing away from him and to his backpack propped against the side of the couch.

“Do you not have an indoor voice? I’d buy you a remote, but I think you’re too high of a frequency.”

The brunet just shot him a smile while he opened his laptop and set it down on a small end table.  Plopping down on the cushions, he pulled it over in front and started scrolling through it.

“What are you doing?” Levi asked, sitting down next to him.

Eren pulled up YouTube. He typed ‘fireplace’ in the search bar and sifted through the results before selecting one.  It loaded. A virtual fireplace flared to life, complete with crackling and…

“There’s Christmas music,” he said.

“But, fireplace.”

“Christmas music. Your eleven months too fucking early.”

“Or just a month late.”

“No.”

“C’mon,” he said, pulling the sheets he had been sleeping with earlier out from behind him and tossing them over their legs. “It’ll be nice. A lot more peaceful than you waking up to me burning breakfast.”

“You burnt toast in the fucking toaster.”

He let out a short laugh. “Yeah. I’m trying to make up for it.”

“What are we supposed to do? Sit watching the fireplace, enjoying the warmth of your overheated laptop battery and listening to Christmas music?”

“Yeah. Or we could talk.”

“About what?”

“Or…you know…we could…” he trailed off, a light blush dusting his cheeks as if the fireplace had been real and its heat was burning his face.

“Eren,” he warned. They’d drawn their lines already. Neither one of them was perfectly content with the lines, but they couldn’t cross them. He wasn’t going to be the kid’s addiction or excuse or distraction. He cared too much for that. The words from the first night he had stayed echoed in his head.

.

_“Thanks again for doing this on such short notice. I just couldn’t keep the house, or stay in it. Mikasa was heading back at college anyways. I would’ve crashed with Armin, but he’s off with that research grant—”_

_“Eren, you can stop talking. I’ve already agreed. You just got to get used to sleeping on the couch.”_

_He had smiled and stepped up to him, trailing a finger around the hem of his pants. “There’s no chance we could share the bed?”_

_Levi had swallowed the slow burn that was igniting where the brunet’s fingers touched. “No. Look, if you’re staying here, we’ve got to get one thing straight. You’re going to focus on school. I’m focusing on work. Nothing’s going to change. We,” he had gestured between them, “aren’t going to be physical. I don’t want to distract you. This is a good opportunity for you to get your shit together like I never did.”_

_“Levi—”_

_“Eren, listen to me. I’m not writing us off, but ‘us’ isn’t first. You are. You’re schooling. Then my job. Then us. Okay?”_

_He had smirked. “Yes, officer.”_

_And he had growled. “Promise.”_

_“I promise.”_

_._

“Yes, I know. I promised. But, it’s a snow day. The rest of life is on hold. Can’t we put that on hold, too? Let me just be distracted by you.”

He had gotten really close somehow. His eyes were so close. Levi couldn’t look anywhere without feeling like he was looking at an advert for a cruise through the Caribbean. His nose brushed against his own. Stale, warmth breath poured over his face as some guy sang about letting it snow.

“You haven’t brushed your teeth, have you?”

Eren froze. “No. Should I—”

Levi leaned forward, bringing their lips together. The brunet was startled into action. His arms wrapped around the dark haired man’s waist, pulling their bodies closer together. Before he knew it, his back was pressed against the couch’s seat cushions, and Eren was nestled between his legs. The sheets tangled around their limbs, assisting them in holding their bodies together. His fingers clutched at brunet strands, grabbing hold for dear life.

But they weren’t close enough.

Eren’s hands splayed across his back, pushing him up.

But they weren’t close enough.

His fingers dug into Eren’s back, pulling him down.

But they weren’t close enough.

Eren stroked his thighs, hitching his legs around his waist.

But they weren’t close enough.

He clawed at Eren’s hips, shoving them against his own.

But they weren’t close enough.

Only once their bodies were lay bare before each other were they satisfied. For the time being.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this one shot got away from me very quickly. I got the idea when some jerk did exactly what Eren did to my Dad and I at the movie theater several weeks ago. I've been writing this since. I had just planned on doing the first scene and leaving it at that; I had no time for a multi-chapter fic. Well, this thing ended up happening. I just went with it. I kind of want to do more, flesh parts out, go further, but I'm content with this.


End file.
